Deep water oil pipe pincher

ABSTRACT

This invention is a hydraulic operated pipe pincher. It comprises a head segment having two hydraulic jacks linked with said head section, a sliding die head housing with said jacks connected to said sliding die head and a foot segment having a die linked with said foot segment. A boat is located on the surface of the water above where the pipe is to be pinched is located. The pipe pincher would be lowered and positioned around the pipe by way of a manipulator arm on a deep water submarine. The sliding die head would then be forced down against the pipe to pinch the pipe closed to restrict or nearly stop the flow of oil within the pipe. The dies are shaped to compress the pipe from each side equally.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A method is needed to stop in oil flow in the Gulf of Mexico, and oil keeps flowing from a well one mile below the surface of the Gulf. This invention will show a means to pinch off the oil flow from the riser pipe of the well.

A pipe pincher is shown that can be positioned around the riser pipe by way of the weight of the pincher being supported by a cable from a boat on the Gulf surface, then manipulated by way of a submarine manipulator arm to position the pipe pincher around the riser pipe. A control station at the surface and signals from the submarine can operate the hydraulics to hydraulically force a die head against the pipe to pinch the pipe or flatten it to where the oil flow is nearly or completely stopped.

This would be a fast and efficient way to solve this problem. A pipe pincher should be designed for every oil rig drilling below the surface of the water based on the diameter of the pipe and thickness of the pipe.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The oil companies don't seem to be well prepared for accidents that may happen in deep water drilling. They should have any and all means that may be of help in slowing and/or stopping an oil flow when things go wrong.

This invention came about because of need by the accident in the Gulf of Mexico by British Petroleum(BP)'s explosion. I call it a pipe pincher. A pipe will easily bend and stretch to allow it to be pinched at both sides. The pincher could be fabricated to provide up to or above 100 tons of pressure on die heads to totally pinch the two sides of the pipe together. The weight of the pipe pincher could be supported from a crane located on a boat at the surface of the water and then manipulated by a submarine on the ocean floor to place the pincher dies around the pipe.

Obviously the pipe must be accessible for this to work. The top of the well head would provide access to the riser pipe. This is an important tool to have on hand should the need arise to use it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the invention

FIG. 2 shows a side view with an arm gate in the open position

FIG. 3 is taken from line 3-3 of FIG. 1

FIG. 4 is taken from line 4 of FIG. 1

FIG. 5 is taken from line 5-5 of FIG. 1

FIG. 6 is taken from line 6-6 of FIG. 1

FIG. 7 is taken from line 7-7 of FIG. 2

FIG. 8 shows an plain view of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION WHEN STUDIED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DRAWINGS AND WRITING DESCRIPTIONS

The invention comprises a pipe pincher head 10 having an arm 14 welded to head 10. It comprises a foot segment 12 also welded to arm 14. The foot segment 12 comprises a fixed die head 12B having a radius 12C at each side of 12B. A sliding die housing 11 comprises a die head 11-B welded to housing 11 between arm 14 and an arm gate 13. The die head 11 also has a radius formed at each of its sides. Hydraulic acuation jacks 15 and 16 is anchored to pincher head 10 by way of pins 23 with a hydraulic ram anchored to sliding die housing 11 by way of pins 24. An arm gate 13 is hinged to pincher head by way of pin 22. A hydraulic actuation jack 18 is anchored to gate arm 13 by way of pin 20 and is anchored to arm 14 by way of pin 19. The jack 18 can open gate arm 13 as shown in FIG. 2, to where the foot segment and the die housing segment can be positioned around pipe 30 as shown by FIG. 2. A support stop 24 is welded to gate arm 13 that will support the pressure from die 11 B and 12B as the sliding housing 11 is moved against the foot segment 12 or moves against pipe 30 as shown by FIG. 2. Die housings 11 shows the die 11 B welded to die housing 11. Likewise, the foot segment 12 has the die 12B welded to foot segment 12. The dies 11B and 12B are positioned between arm 14 and arm gate 13. The foot segment 12 extends past gate arm 13 to form a gate arm guide 12D that acts to guide the gate arm in a place as the gate arm 13 is closed.

Hydraulic jack 25 is positioned to housing 11 to activate a locking pin 26 as shown by FIG. 7. Holes 27 is drilled through die housing 11 and die 11B. When the pipe 30 is pinched shown by FIG. 2 as 30A, the pins 26 would be activated to lock the sliding die housing 11 against pipe 30A so that pressure from the hydraulic lines can be removed from the lines H1 and H2 and the pins 26 will hold the pipe 30 in the pinched position 30A.

A hydraulic jack 32 identical to jack 25 as shown by FIG. 2 is located to foot segment 12 to lock arm gate 13 in the closed position. Holes would be drilled in foot segment 12 and arm gate 13 to align them together for receiving pin 26 as shown by FIG. 7 which is identical to jack assembley 25 except it is located on foot segment 12 A hydraulic control value 28 represents four(4) hydraulic control valves. H1 and H2 are supply lines from a pump P located on a control station 42 boat 40 at the water surface.

H3 is connected to gate jack 18. H4 and H5 are connected to jacks 15 and 16 and H6 is connected to jack 25 with H7 connected to jack 32 Likewise, electric lines E is passed from control station 42 boat 30 to each of said values 28. Where valves 28 are located to the pipe pincher 1, only the pressure line H1 and return line H2 is needed from boat 30 to the pipe pincher 1. Where the valves 28 is located on boat 30, two lines would be needed for each of the five four way control valves or ten hydraulic lines, or two for each of the jacks 15 and 16, 18 and jack 25 and 32. At least two electric lines E would be needed from the boat 30 to the pipe pincher 1 for each control valve 28 solenoid.

It is noted that alternative to welding the dies to sliding housing 11 and foot segment 12, the dies could be bolted to sliding housing 11 and foot segment 12. Where a drill pipe is housed inside a riser pipe 30, a special set of dies would be required (not shown). The die 11 b would be set against pipe 30 at an angle where pipe 30 would be pinched to force the drill pipe to one side of the riser pipe, then by use of the special dies pinch both the riser pipe and the drill pipe together. Actuation jacks 15 and 16 would be painted a different color to identify each during operation. Jacks 15 and 16 can be operate independent of each other.

In operation, a control boat station would be positioned on the surface of the water, a crane 7 would lower the pipe pincher 1 to the location of the pipe 30. A submarine 41 having a manipulator arm 43 would position the pipe pincher. The gate 13 would be closed then the jacks 15 and 16 would force the die head 11 to pinch the pipe together as shown by FIG. 2.

To make the invention, the parts would be fabricated based on these drawings and writing descriptions. The hydraulics and electric components would then be connected and the pipe pincher would be ready for use.

It should be noted that many modes of the invention is possible without departing from the true spirit of the invention. 

1. A deep water remotely controlled pipe pincher comprising in combination: a head segment, a sliding die housing, a foot segment said foot segment housing a fixed die, an arm segment having a fixed linkage with said head segment and said foot segment, an arm gate, a hinge pin linkage between said arm gate and said head segment , a sliding linkage between said die housing and said arm gate segment, a sliding linkage between said die housing and said arm, a hydraulic pump means, a hydraulic jack means, linkage means between said jack means and said head segment, linkage means between said jack means and said sliding die housing, a hydraulic valve means, a hydraulic line means linking said valve means with said hydraulic jack means, line means connecting said pump with said control valve means, a control station, and an electric line means linking said control station with said valve means.
 2. The invention as claimed in claim 1 is to include: a locking hydraulic actuated pins housed to said sliding die head
 3. The invention as claimed in claim 2 is to farther include a sliding die said die having a radius at each side of said die.
 4. The invention as claimed in claim 3 is to include a fixed die housed to said foot segment and having a radius at each of said die ends.
 5. The invention as referred to in claim 4 wherein said sliding die housing included a die welded to said die housing.
 6. The invention as referred to in claim 6 wherein said foot segment included a die welded to said foot segment.
 7. The invention as claimed in claim 6 is to included a gate arm actuator hydraulic cylinder having a linkage with said gate arm , a linkage with said arm and a gate arm locking hydraulic actuated pin housed to said foot segment.
 8. The invention as referred to in claim 7 is to included a foot segment having a gate arm guide at its gate arm end.
 9. The invention as referred to in claim 8 wherein said gate arm is to include a support stop welded to said gate arm end.
 10. The invention as referred to in claim 9 wherein said hydraulic jack means includes: two hydraulic jacks having a linkage with said head segment at one end of said jacks and a linkage with said sliding die at said jack's opposite end.
 11. The invention as claimed in claim 10 wherein said jacks is painted different colors for identification purposes.
 12. A remotely controlled pipe pincher comprising: a head segment, hydraulic jacks connected to said head segment, an arm said arm welded to said head segment, a sliding housing segment, a die welded to said sliding housing, a sliding housing linkage with said arm, hydraulic jacks linked with sliding housing, a pair of hydraulic actuator locking pins housed to said sliding housing, a gate arm, a hinge pin linkage between said gate arm and said head segment, a hydraulic actuator jack linked with said arm gate, a sliding linkage between said gate arm and said sliding housing, a foot segment said foot segment welded to said arm, a gate arm guide housed to said foot segment, a gate arm linkage between said foot segment and said gate arm, a gate arm support stop welded to said gate arm, a plurality of hydraulic valves, hydraulic lines connecting said valves to said hydraulic jacks, a hydraulic pump, hydraulic lines connecting said hydraulic valve to said hydraulic pump, electric line means, a control station housed on a boat at the water surface, said electric line means linked between said control station and said control valves, a submarine comprising means for positioning said pipe pincher to a pipe and communication means between said submarine and said boat control station. 